Roll holder and web feeder



April 18, 1961 K. R. SCHNEIDER ROLL HOLDER AND WEB FEEDER 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 14, 1958 Foil 0 INVENTOR KURT R. SCHNEIDER ATTORNEYS April 18, 1961 K. R. SCHNEIDER 2,980,359

ROLL HOLDER AND was FEEDER Filed May 14, 1958 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG. 2.

INVENTOR KURT R. SCHENEIDER BY 11 9.2 9024 v SM ATTORNEYS p 1961 K. R. SCHNEIDER 2,980,359

ROLL HOLDER AND WEB FEEDER Filed May 14, 1958 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 l I I 11'] 2 I q'll LL w F- -i r0 S w w #2 L:

. Q N I V) Q 2 u I INVENTOR g I KURT R. SCHNEIDER T- I 1- r 9,

m T K: BY 53 M I amc O r m ATTORNEYS Ufliitd S at s Pm- ROLL HOLDER AND WEB FE DER Kurt Rudolf Schneider, .Bainbridge, N.Y., assignor to Eureka Specialty Printing Company, Scranton, Pa.-, a corporation of Pennsylvania Filed May 14, 1958, Ser. No. 735,186

'16 Claims. (Cl. 242-453) This invention relates to the art of strip feeding, and more particularly to the withdrawal of the strip from a supply such as a roll, and intermittent delivery of the strip to a point of employment.

An object of the invention is the provision of a strip feeding apparatus including a turning device mounted so that it moves toward the outlet point for the strip during traction on the strip and thereby reduces the length of the portion of the strip between the supply and outlet points, together with means for moving the roller away from the outlet when the traction is reduced below a predetermined value.

Another object is the'provision of strip feeding apparatus including parts for controlling the delivery of the strip from a supply roll and its movement into an intermittently operating strip converting device, and parts for preventing retrograde "movement of the delivery end of the strip.

A further object is the provision of strip feeding-pp paratus in which the free rotation of a roll of strip material is restricted and in which the strip is delivered to an intermittently operating strip converting device, with the strip acting to procure varyingretarding eliects upon its movement toward such device.

A further feature is the provision of a strip feeding apparatus including a support pivot for receiving a roll of strip material, a removable end structure for the, pivot including a friction head 'forengag'ing' the roll, a member for engaging the pivot, and asp'ring activebetween the friction head and the member to hold the member engaged the pivot and the friction head engaged'with theroll.

With these and other objects in view, as will'appearin the course of the following description and claims, an illustrative form o'f practice of the invention is shown on the accompanying drawings, in-whic'h: 'e

Fig. 'l is a top elevation of the illustrative form, shown attached'to adevice {or employment bffthe strip.

Fig. 2 is anend elevation thereof.

Fig. '3 is a section substantially on the broken line 3-3 of-Fig. 2.

Fig. -.4 is anelevation of a sleeve member, substantially on line 4-4 of Fig. '3, at a larger'scale.

Fig. 5 is an axial section, substantially on line -5--5 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is 'a view corresponding to a part of Fig. 2, with partsomitted or conventionalized.

In the drawings, the strip feeding apparatus is illustratively attached to a device D, shown fragmentarily and which-may be a label applying machine as shown in the Schneider Patent 2,754,022, wherewith the strips cornprises a'successionof'labels which are'to beintermittently advanced, as by a reciprocating shuttle'H which'engages in apertures 10 of the strip S, and thereby advances the strip .by one label distanceduring 'a cycleof operation of the device D, for the severing randapplication of a label to an article. Thus at each .feeding movementof the shuttle ,H,-traction is exerted uponpthe strip; and during the return wmovement :of the shuttle ,H, the strip may be .at a standstill withouttraction thereon from the shuttle i e 2,989,359 Q Pa r-te ra es.- 7 1 The illustrative apparatus has a support comprising the pad 11 which is secured to the device D, and an arm 12 extending from the pad 11 and having fixed thereon a pivot 13. An antifriction bearing 14 (Fig. 3) on the pivot 5 13 supports a disk 15 having fixed thereto a rocker piece 16 which in the illustrative form has its center of mass below the pivot axis so that the rocker can gravitationally assume a position of rest. The piece 16 has an arcuate extension 17 illustratively concentric with the pivot axis,

10 .and presenting a bottom surface for frictional engagement by the strip S as will be described hereinafter. The piece 16 also has fixed thereon, eccentric to the pivot axis, a shaft 18 with antifriction bearings 19 for mounting a strip turning roller 20, illustratively having the end 15 flanges 21 for guiding the strip.

A pin 22 on the rocker piece 16 engages one end of a coil spring 23 which is attached at its other end to a pin 24 on the arm 12. When the rocker is at rest, the pin 22 is in the illustrative practice above the radial line from the pin 24 to the axis of pivot 13 wherewith the rest position of the rocker is slightly counterclockwise (Fig. 2) of its purely gravitational rest position, due to the balancing of the efforts of the spring and gravity: and the spring is stretched to a greater and greaterextent as the 25 rocker is moved clockwise (Fig. 2).

An outlet guide roller 25 is rotatably mounted on a shaft 26 fixed on the arm 12; and the upperpart of its surface is positioned to deliver "the strip to the device D for engagement by the shuttle H thereof. Spaced from the outlet roller 25 is a round pin 27 which passes through an arcuate slot 28 inthe fixed arm 12, the are being illus- ,tratively concentric with the indicated position of the axis of asecond shaft 29 fixed to the arm 12 between the surfa ces of the roller 25 and thepin 27. The pin 27 can be fixed .ina selected position alongrthis are by a nut 30. A detaining roller .31 base central bore larger than the second shaft 29so that this roller 31 may assume various positions relative to pin: the outer diameter is greater than the distance between the surfaces of the roller 25 and the pin 27, and the axis of the roller 31 .is located relatively above the plane through the axes ,of the roller 25 and the pin 27 so that it is drawn by gravity into the nip between these parts. .In practice .it is preferred .to form the roller 31 oftwo sections which canrotate. and

a move relative to one another, and which each have an outer friction surface, for example provided 'bya roughened rubber jacket. The rollers 25 31 may be held on their respective mounts by removable zflange pieces '33 .secured to the outer ends of the mounting shafts 26, 29.

in the illustrated structure the rollers 25 and 31 are located, substantially at the horizontal plane through the axis of the pivot 13, withthe pin 27be1ow this plane. it is preferred to provide ,a slot 34 in the arm 12 so that the position of the second shaft 29 may also be adjusted when thicker or thinner strip stock of greater or lesser flexibility is being employed.

The pivot 13 extends over the 'arcuate extension 17 and has antifriction bearings 35 for supporting a rotatable sleeve-36 upon which a roll R, providing'a supply of the strip material S, may be placed with onev end surface bearing againstan end-flange 37 of the sleeve v36. The outer bearing 35 is held in place by a splitring 38. The'ptojecting outerend of thepivot 13 has a transverse pin 39 with roundedends. i

The rollRis held on the sleeve 36, and pressed against the flange .37, by a friction head 40 having an end surface for .eng'agingtthe roll R. This frictionhead 40 is hollow and receives. a sleeve 41, which fits around the end of the pivot 13 and has an inwardly extending flange 42b .10 -provide-an internal recess 42 with axial access grooves 42a. (Fig. 4) v extending through the endrfiange 42b (Fig. 39,; for regeiving and detaining the endsof the pivot pin 39, therewith providing a bayonet joint which the parts can be slid axially or telescoped, and then rotated about their common axis into a position at which they cannot be separated by direct axial movemen t;- A radial hole or bore 4 6 is drilled through the sleevejl; so

. that (Fig; it provides grooves in the inner surface oi the flange 42b;for reeeivingtheends of the pin39. As

shownin Fig. 4,.the axial planes through the notches 12d andjhrough the gbore 46 are preferablyat rightianglesi Atits'outer end, the head 40 has-an enlarged bore for receiving theend-of a compression coil spring 43 which bears at its other end against the knob 44 which is secured to the s1eeve 41;by a screw'45. I

For operation,- With the head and associatedfparts V removedfrom the pivot 13, a roll R of the strip material.

is placed'on the sleeve 36. The head 40 is-then engaged over the end of the pivot-13 so that the pivot enters the sleeve 41, this sleeve beingrotated by itspknob 44 if necessary for alinement of the open ends ofgrooves 42a 'with the-pivot pin 39. The knob 44 is pmsedinward,

against the spring-43, until the pin 39 passes beyond the end flange 42b of the sleeve, and the knob can then be ,rotated so that the ends of pivot pin 39 pass into the recms 42: 'upon release of the knob 44 after a rotation of 90 degrees, the springpresses the knob 44 and the sleeve 41 outward so that the ,ends of the pin 39. are held seated in ,the grooves provided by thecross bore 46, with reaction against the friction head 40 soithatlthe latter applies a ;friction efiort-against theroll R in turnthe roll R V is pressed against the flange 37 whereby the strip is located and accuratelypositionedfonfeeding. This friction effect exists .hy slippagef ofrtlie spring'43 in its of the-head 40 against the mun.

seatior by slippage engaged and intermittently fed by the shuttle H of the device D. The roller 31 is now released, so that it bears against pin 27,1and presses the'strip S toward the roller 25.

The device Dfcan now be energized, so that its shuttle "H reciprocates 1 During e'achleftward movement ofthe shuttle H (Fig.2), traction .is exerted along the strip YS,

. and a portionfthe'reof isadvancetf from the outlet roller ZS'of the feeding apparatusand delivered to the device D. This traction acts toliit the roller 31 slightly by rmovementwalo'ng' the surface of pin' 27,1notingthat the strip engages with'an are on the surface of the'roll'er 31 7 (Fig. 2), and then ,with an arcon the surface of the roller 25:'-and the strip S is thus freed for'theadvancement towardthe device D. This tractionefiect is'fcontinued along the strip S to' the turning roller 20. IIfl the strip S is loose between roller and the'outlet roller 25,

strip S i s drawn against the friction surface of the extension 17: during this time, the traction efiect does-not cause withdraw-a1. ofjfur'ther strip materialfrom therol-l R nor provoke arotation of the roll ZR, nor a movement of the rocker structure. When the strip has been brought Ito engagementwith the braking; extension 17,'trac tio n Jfiectgalong thestrip S causes the strip to pull the extenon. 17 ndj e ewi h'o h P s of. t e ro r. member with it. "The turning roll 20 is therewith moved toward 7 the outlet roller 25, and actsas a pulleyover'which' 'the- 7. r p v stq short u el pxis s m h pp y l IoHjRto the turning roller 20 and back'to the extension 17, wherewith thestrip is permitted'to slide along/the iextension' 1Zby a distance about equal to the movement I of the extension 17, so that the movement of 17 is about half the'movement of the strip into the deviceD. Thus thereisa yieldingju nder the efiectof thetractionjand each reciprocation of the "shuttle H, iwithi intermittent or connection in n i 7 n V movement of the roll R to deliver the feeding-oi the strip, is not accompanied by an arcuate necessary amount of strip material. I V

A full roll R has a significant mass While at rest, if the tractionefiect along the strip S acts directly to start the roll R in rotation the sudden efiort may'tear the strip, pa tieuiarly it"shuttle engaged perforations or other weakening is-presentrwhemthe roll R has been started 'inrotation, it may continue by, its momentum, and apniajor flrnount or the materialmay be'unwound and become tangled. With thearrangement of the invention, the sudden,pull by.:the sh1ntle H upon the strip S is not directly transmitted to the roll R, but the rocker piece 16 with its;turn ing roller- 20 moves with thestrip S, so that a lesser force is exerted upon the roll R. The amount of this force is automatically adjusted, by the illustrated apparatus, that the moyement of the turn- ,ingroller 20 occur s withmovement of the; rocker piece 16 against gravity and spring action, so that the sudden pull of the shuttle is converted to a gradually increasing gravity and spring action, slippingalongfthe strip S;'thus R a then'threaded moving. the roller 20 farther frorm'the roller" 25,;and therewith continuing to 'draw strip material from the roll R and continuing the slow rotation of the roll R-for that purpose; -Thus, the rapid reciprocations of the shuttle H do not demand the delivery of the full amount of strip material from roll R during the feeding stroke, but

this amount can be supplied over the entire course of the shuttle cycle of feeding and return strokes.

Further, friction head 40 acts to restrict free rotation of the roll R.- A full roll R has a largerexternal diameter, so that it is moved through a smallarc at each feeding demand: as the roll R approaches depletion, it has a smaller diameter, and is turned through a greater are for each demand. With. a device D operating at'a fixed number of cycles per minute, the averaged rotational speed of afresh roll R is-lowbut'with relative- -ly high inertia and momentum effects for; the averaged speed; and the averaged rotational speed Qf'a depleted roll is high but with low inertia and momentum efieets at such speed.- 'Ihe'head 40 acts with; an essentially this tractionreduces the loose loop their existing, 'until' the 5 constant retardingefiect upon the roll, significantly less than the traction efiect along the strip until the roll diameter. is less than that of ;-the -head 40: so. that its restricting action is relatively low at the;low*rotational speed of a full roll 'whereby'thetraction is largely employed for moving the roll, and becomes relatively high- :er, asthe roll decreases in diameter and, inertia and momentum eflects and increases in rotational speed. -When the final few tprnsremain intheirolh'the head 40 presents a less and less surfaceto the roll, noting .that at thistime the smaller radius of gyration connotes alesser momentum and also a-lesserlength of strip ru ia r c be oftheroll, r

delivered for a: given movement enthe traction along the from the {shuttle H, is high, slippage of thestfip' along the surface of the .extension'17 is reduced and may cease-so that .the rocker piece 16 is pulled through a greater angle f0r'an intermittent shuttle action: and thereupon'the spring '23 acts i-to assist gravity in resisting-the movement of the rocker piece 16 and to return it when the traction'ceases.

, When the traction frOm'the'shflttle I- I drops,;thedetaining roller 31' moves downward by 'g'ravity in' theillustra tive device and therewith grips the strip S against the outlet roller 25, and is itself held against rotation by its engagement with the pin .27. Thus, the part ofthe strip S opposite the shuttle H and downstreamward of the outlet roller 25 comes to a standstilhawaiting a further feeding by the shuttle; whereas the part of the strip S upstreamward of the outlet roller 25 is moved slightly by the detaining engagement of the roller 31, but remains essentially without movement for the part engageable by the extension 17 and to the position occupied by the turning roller 20 at the end of the feeding move ment. The part of the strip S downstreamward of the extension 17, as far as the rollers 31, 25, increases in relative length as the rocker piece '16 and the roller 29 return by a counterclockwise movement (Fig. 2) after the shuttle traction has ceased due to the strip portion which moves around the roller 20. In the illustrative form, with the supply roll R mounted on the pivot 13 concentric with the path of movement of the roller 20, the length of the strip portion between the roll R and the roller 29 changes but slightly at each feeding, due to the small decrease in diameter of the roll R and therewith the small change in the length of the common tangent line from the roll R to the roller 29. Therewith, if the roll R continues to rotate even after therocker' piece and roller 20 have returned to original position, this is restricted by the head 40 so that only a small looseness or looping can develop, which is taken up during the succeeding feeding stroke or strokes of the shuttle, before there is the aforesaid gradual further demand upon the roll R.

It will be understood that the illustrated practice is not restrictive; and that the invention may be employed in many ways within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

l. A strip feeding apparatus comprising a frame, a rocker structure pivoted on the frame and including a rocker member and a strip turning roller journmled to move with the rocker member, an outlet guide for the strip, a support for a strip supply from which the strip may be led to and around the turning roller and thence to the outlet guide, a friction portion on the rocker member whereby movement of the strip past the outlet guide causes the rocker member to move in the direction of the strip, and means for returning the rocker structure.

2. A strip feeding apparatus as in claim 1, in which the friction portion provides a surface over which the strip may slide and located between the turning roller and the outlet guide.

3. A strip feeding apparatus as in claim 1, in which the returning means includes a spring connected to the frame and to the rocker structure.

4. A strip feeding apparatus as in claim 3, in which the rocker structure has its center of gravity below its pivotal support on the frame.

5. A strip feeding apparatus comprising a support, a pivot and an outlet guide on the support, a rocker member on said pivot, said pivotbeing adapted to receive a roll of the strip material, and a roller eccentrically mounted on the rocker member, said rocker member having a brake surface for engagement by the strip; the apparatus being adapted for movement of the strip from the roll to the roller, around the roller and thence to the brake surface and to the outlet guide.

6. A strip feeding apparatus as in claim 5, in which the brake surface is an arcuate area concentric with said pivot.

7. A strip feeding apparatus as in claim 5, in which the rocker member is suspended on said pivot and the brake surface is located on the rocker member so that it is below the said pivot when the rocker is gravitationally at rest.

8. A strip feeding apparatus comprising a support, a rocker member pivoted on the support, a strip supply on the support, a strip turning roller mounted on the rocker inemb'er' to move therewith, an outlet -guide roller on the support, the apparatus being adapted for movement of the strip to and around the turning roller and thence along the surface of the rocker member and thence to the outlet guide roller whereby the strip can move the rocker member in one direction, means for returning the rocker member, and a strip detaining device for engagement by the strip at a portion thereof between the turning and outlet rollers for preventing retrograde movement of the strip.

9. A strip feeding apparatus as in claim 8, in which the strip detaining device is mounted on the support for being moved against gravity from detaining position during tension along the strip from a part thereof adjacent said outlet guide roller wherewith the strip is shifted toward a plane which is tangent to the outlet roller and -to the turning roller, and for gravitational movement upon cessation of such tension toward its detaining position and therewith shifting the strip away from the said plane whereby to increase the length of the strip portion between the said rollers.

10. A strip feeding apparatus as in claim 8, in which the detaining device is a roller mounted on the support for movement toward and from the outlet roller.

11. A strip feeding apparatus as in claim 8, in which the detaining device comprises a pin mounted onthe support spaced from andessentially parallel to the outlet roller, and a friction roller resting against the pin and movable along the surface thereof between a position in which it binds the strip against the outlet roller and a position in which the strip can move between the outlet and friction rollers.

12. A strip feeding apparatus comprising a support, a pivot and an outlet guide on the support, a strip supply roll on the pivot, a rocker member on the pivot for gravitationally assuming a rest position, said rocker member having a friction surface for engagement by the strip, a turning roller mounted on the rocker member eccentrically to the pivot at a point upstreamward of the brake surface, an outlet guide on the support downstreamward of the friction surface, said rocker being movable against gravity by the strip engagement with the friction surface upon withdrawing traction on the strip whereby the length of the portion of the strip from the roll to the outlet guide is reduced, and a spring active for urging return movement of the rocker member after the said rocker member has been moved from its gravitational rest position.

13. A strip feeding apparatus comprising a rocker member having a strip turning device thereon, an outlet guide for the strip, a strip supply from which the strip is led to and around the said strip turning device, and a friction surface portion on the rocker for engaging the strip on its way to the outlet guide.

14. A strip feeding apparatus for feeding a strip to a mechanism including an intermittently acting device for pulling the strip, comprising a frame, a pivot on the frame for supporting a roll of the strip material, braking means for restricting the rotation of the roll about the pivot axis, a rocker member having a bearing portion engaged with the pivot, said rocker member having an arcuate extension fixed thereon and providing a friction surface movable therewith on a path radially outside the said roll, a turning roller journalled on the rocker member for movement therewith on a path radially outside the said roll, whereby the strip may be threaded from the roll to said turning roller and then to engagement with said friction surface and then to the pulling device wherewith the delivery movement of the strip in response to the pulling device and the engagement of the strip assumes of the strip movement toward said intermittently acting device, means located, between the said friction surface and 'said intermittentlyjacting device to preventretrograde v movement of the strip andrmeansfor returningthejrocker terial, braking means ,for restricting'the rotation ofthe 7 roll about the pivot axis, a rockervmemberhaving a bearing portion engaged with the pivot b etwcenthe frame and'the roll, location whereby the pivot has a free end so that the-roll can he ,slid Iaxially. onto and-off from the; pivot, said rocker memberfhavingan arcuate extension fixed thereonand movable therewith in a path about 'the said'pivot, said arcuate extension having a friction surface ,for engagement withthe strip,-saidarcuate extension having agfree edge, arpivotshaft projecting from V the rocker member parallel to .saidpivot and eccentric relative thereto, a turning roller journalled on the pivot shaft for movement with the rocker member and having a free end, whereby the strip may be; threaded over said free ends from the roll to and around said turning roller and then to engagement with said friction surface and then to the intermittently acting device and wherewith the delivery movement of the intermittently acting device upon the part of the strip engaged with said friction sur- 7 face causes the rocker member to move in the direction 7 member during an idle period of the intermittently acting device.

16. A'strip feeding apparatus comprising'a support, a

n'ocker member pivotally mounted on thesupport for rocking movement uponengagement by'the stripwhen fed, a strip turning roller journalled to move ,with the rocker member, an outlet guide for-the strip, a strip supply ,mountedon the support from which thestrip i's led to and aroundthesaidroller; a friction surface portion on the rockerrfor engaging thestrip between said roller and said outlet guide whereby the strip can move the rocker member in one direction, and means to return 7 the rocker member. a

7 References Citedin the of patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 286,161 Wortley Oct.'2, 1883 782,909 'Jefieris ..1. Feb. 21, 1905 1,023,165 Oehring Apr. 16, 1912 1,340,710 Graham May 18, 1920 1,410,136 Stevens Mar. 21, 1922 Chambon Jan. 25, 1955 

